Bello appears safe, but criminals still find a way to stay active

A report by Sergio Arboleda University’s Security and Democracy Center in Bogotá revealed that Bello is the fifth safest city in Colombia. Compared to the first semester of last year, there has been a significant reduction in high impact crimes like homicides, assault, and theft. This doesn’t mean, however, that Bello is free from criminal activity.

In the city’s more affluent areas there are often attempts by criminal organizations to charge what’s known as a ‘vacuna’ or vaccine; those who refuse to pay often become victims of a crime. For one local leader, the only reason Bello appears to be safe is because “organized crime is an important pillar in pacification and it’s a fact that some of the institutions have been permeated.”